What's the nicest thing......

It’s May!?!?!  How did that happen?  The weather’s getting warmer, baseball season is in full swing and the kids are almost out of school.  But most important, next Sunday is Mother’s Day.  Yes, it’s only a week away and you’re welcome for the reminder.

Of course “Mother’s Day” takes on a whole new meaning when you become a Mother, but that’s not exactly what this blog is about.

When I was in the second grade I was in the school choir.  We were the “Kids of the Kingdom”, K – 2^nd grade, 5 to 8 years old.  We even had robes.  We thought we were the real deal.  On Mother’s Day we had a special song.  I can still remember the words – lucky for you, you just get to read it and not hear me sing it:

What’s the nicest thing about your mother?

She cooks and she sews and she washes all your clothes

But what’s the nicest thing about your mother

That you’ll find annnnnyyyyywheeeerrrreee?

What’s the nicest thing?

The very nicest thing?

Is that she’s allllllwaaaaayyys there.

After we finished singing, we were given a carnation to take to our teary moms sitting in the pews beaming with pride.  The song became a Mother’s Day tradition at our church.  Long after my sister and I had out grown our choir robes, the new generation exuberantly sang “What’s the nicest thing……”  We’d sit in the audience lip syncing to ourselves, and our mom, snickering a little when we sang “she sews”.  Usually the song would continue to run through our head throughout the day, so we’d serenade our mom whenever the mood struck.  It became a staple of our Mother’s Day traditions.

A lot has changed since then.  Motherhood in the early 80’s was a lot different than motherhood in 2014.  But when you look at the words of the song, the simple message is timeless – “what’s the nicest thing, the very nicest thing, is that she’s always there”.  I think it’s safe to say that we’re all a little too hard on ourselves when it comes to “being there” for our children.  Parental guilt makes us feel like there is always a little more that we could, or should, be doing. 

We have to remember that “always there” has a different definition to a child.  It doesn’t mean every waking moment.  It doesn’t mean that you’re always doing something fun and exciting with expensive toys.  It means when they need a hug, you’re there.  When they need help with homework, an art project, playing catch or riding bikes, you’re there.  Just. Be. There.  It’s that easy.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms, Dad’s who are also moms, family/friends who fill in for moms and coworkers who are understanding of moms.  It truly takes a village.

Heart-FULLy yours, 

Kacey